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Mark, I spoke to you on the phone this morning and you asked me to send you an email with some info in it. I am trying to find a good chef knife for my husband. He is left handed and does a lot of cooking, especially barbecue, ribs and vegetables. He complains all the time about our knives not doing a very good job. He complains a lot when he is slicing the brisket hot, and for cook offs the meat has to be hot or warm and then just in general for cooking around the house. He is machinist by trade, so at first he will probably have it professionally sharpened, but after that I know he will want to learn how to do it himself. He is a perfectionist and knows about angles, degrees, tolerances, things like that. He knows nothing about sharpening a good knife but he will learn I am sure. I want to stay around $150.00. I do't know if that is enough to get one knife, two knives, or one knife and sharpening equipment or what. I dont know anything about stainless or other types, so dont have a preference. I did some research and had kind of picked out a fujiwara but I think from reading it is only for right handers, so am anxiously awaiting some advice. THANKS!!

Good luck. Hopefully some of my buddy's will chime in and give you some other suggestions. If he has sharpening questions after he starts playing with the stones have him give me a call. After xmas is better for me.

thanks Mark for your advice. will probably do exactly what you told me to since I know nothing and this is a surprise for my husband for Christmas!!!!!! thanks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BadBoy

Post subject: Re: Is the Fujiwara a good choice for my husband?

Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 12:30 pm

Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2012 5:56 amPosts: 212Location: Austin, TX

Dana,

I too love to cook and smoking ribs, brisket, pork butt, and etc. is a regular occurrence at home and in some competitions. Further, I had a 20 year career in manufacturing (not as a machinist, but it is like your husband and I have similar wiring).

For your budget, I highly recommend the 240 Gyuto/Chef knife Mark recommends. It is stainless, priced right, and will cover 95%+ of the jobs you mention. This also will leave budget for the sharpening stuff Mark also recommends, which is critical for anyone purchasing something better than a big box store $20 knife. Also, if he wants to upgrade in the future, you don't have a bunch of money invested in this knife to make it painful.

BUT I HAVE TO WARN YOU: This is just the start. When your husband experiences these knives and learns how to sharpen them he will likely want more. The first thing I do when I get a brand new knife, after taking pictures of the unveiling, is to sharpen it even though it is "new" I can make the edge much better. If he is the perfectionist you describe, he will likely be easy to buy for his next birthday too.

Anyway, for slicing the brisket, he will eventually want a slicer and this is where I slightly disagree with Mark. The brand and line he recommends for the slicer is great (and would match the Gyuto) but for a piece of meat the size of a brisket, I would get at least the 270mm blade length. Again, I would hold off an let your husband decide on this selection after experiencing the Gyuto (which will likely slice the brisket better than anything he has used before). He may want even a longer knife. When you start to specialize, personal preference really comes into play.

He is gonna LOVE your Christmas gift!!!

_________________TroyAustin, Texas

oldandgray

Post subject: Re: Is the Fujiwara a good choice for my husband?

Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2012 1:58 am

Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 1:57 pmPosts: 4

Hey Badboy, I am not real techy so didnt get back to you real quick, I actually forgot to come back and take a look. I did take Marks advice and get the one he recommended. I think my husband is going to love it and I will take your advice and let him pick his next one since he will get a taste of what a good knife is like. I did get the sharpening stones as well and will show my husband the videos Mark made after he opens the knife at Christmas. I appreciate everyone's help. This is probably going to wind up costing me a fortune!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He will probably want to try several different ones. Oh well, I get to eat brisket and ribs as he tries out knives. Good deal for me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BadBoy

Post subject: Re: Is the Fujiwara a good choice for my husband?

Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 7:19 am

Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2012 5:56 amPosts: 212Location: Austin, TX

Since you mentioned it . . . here are the beef ribs I smoked over the weekend . . .

There were six bones (around 12" each) and the pre-cooked weight was 10.26lbs!

Oh my gosh, those look AWESOME. My husband cooks up some really good ribs too. Wish I could sample those!!!! Hey, I really do appreciate your input. I am going to try and talk him into getting the tojiro slicer after he opens up his knife at Chrismas. I dont think I will have to try real hard because I think he needs a good slicer. I will probably be back on here after the holidays to get some sharpening tips. You guys are really a cool group. Never knew there was this much info in knives.

oldandgray

Post subject: Re: Is the Fujiwara a good choice for my husband?

Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 7:43 pm

Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 1:57 pmPosts: 4

Ok, since yall make this knife thing so interesting, I had to get the knife out and take a really good look at it. I love the way it feels. He and I are both lefties, so I am excited about this being versitale. Dont know if it is in my head but when I use some knives it seems I cut kinda crooked, could be me, absolutley could be me, but I am hoping this makes a big difference for both of us if he ever lets me use it. I am already to jump in and get some others types of knives but will wait and let him choose the next one.

franzb69

Post subject: Re: Is the Fujiwara a good choice for my husband?

Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 8:35 pm

Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 4:29 amPosts: 622Location: Philippines

i'm a lefty myself. before i went to culinary school i cut pretty crooked too. and i learned it was because of my grip on the knife.

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